1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a handle assembly for a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a handle assembly for a refrigerator which is gripped and operated by a user in order to open and close a door of the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A front surface of a door of a refrigerator is mounted with a handle assembly which is gripped by a user when the door is opened and closed. FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a major portion of a handle assembly for a refrigerator according to a prior art. According to the figure, a front plate 2a and a door liner 2b define front and rear external appearances of a door 2, respectively. A fastening groove 2c is formed in the door liner 2b at a predetermined position. The fastening groove 2c concaves up to a position adjacent to a rear surface of the front plate 2a. The fastening groove 2c is a portion which is penetrated by a screw Sb for fastening a handle holder 4, which will be described bellow, to the door 2. A cap 2d is fitted into an inlet of the fastening groove 2c and then covers the interior of the fastening groove 2c. In addition, decoration caps 3 are installed on external appearances of portions of a front edge and side, upper, and lower surfaces of the door 2.
The front plate 2a of the door 2 is mounted with the handle holders 4. Each of the handle holders 4 is fastened to the door 2 by the screw Sb which penetrates the decoration cap 3 and the door liner 2b in the fastening groove 2c. The handle holders 4 are provided at upper and lower sides of a leading end or left and right sides of the front surface of the door 2.
Each of both ends of a handle 6 is fastened to the handle holder 4. The handle 6, which is shaped in an elongated bar, has a length as long as that between the handle holders 4. Each of the ends of the handle 6 is fastened to the handle holder 4 by a screw Sa which penetrates the handle holder 4 from its interior.
Upon review of an assembling process of the handle assembly according to the prior art, the handle holders 4 are first fastened to the handle 6 by using the screws Sa. In a state where the handle holders 4 are assembled to both the ends of the handle 6 as above, the handle holders 4 are fixed to the front surface of the door 2 by using the screws Sb.
Here, the screw Sb for fixing the handle holder 4 to the front surface of the door 2 fastens the handle holder 4 to the door 2 through the fastening groove 2c formed in the door liner 2b defining the rear surface of the door 2. Then, after the screw Sb fastens the handle holder 4 to the door 2 from the interior of the fastening groove 2c, the separate cap 2d of rubber is used in order to close the inlet of the fastening groove 2c. 
However, the handle assembly for the refrigerator according to the prior art as described above has the following problems.
That is, in the prior art, since the separate fastening grooves 2c should be formed in the door liner 2b, the door liner 2b are further complicated. In addition, due to the existence of the fastening grooves 2c, there is a limitation on a thickness design of an insulating layer formed between the front plate 2a and the door liner 2b. That is, the reason is that when a depth of the fastening grooves 2c is above a certain value, the fastening grooves 2c cannot be formed through a vacuum forming process for the door liner 2b. 
Further, the caps 2d made of the rubber should be additionally used to cover the fastening grooves 2c. Therefore, there is a problem in that the external appearance of the door liner 2b is relatively deteriorated.
In addition, the screw Sb for fastening the handle holder 4 to the door 2 should be fastened to the rear surface of the door 2. That is, it causes the problem that a process of fastening the screws Sb is relatively cumbersome because a worker are positioned opposite to the object to be fastened with respect to the door 2. Particularly, when the door 2 is heavy, its assembling workability is further reduced.